The present invention relates to electric motors and more particularly to a unique, improved stator support assembly for an electric motor and a method of manufacture and assembly of the same.
In the electric motor art it has been well known to support spaced motor end shields from the motor stator either by fastening the end shields with appropriate spacer supports to opposed faces of the stator or by passing support members directly through bore holes in the stator, fastening the stator to the support members intermediate their extremities and fastening end shields to the support member extremities. More recently, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,764, issued to Robert W. White on Sept. 25, 1984 and in subsequent U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,480,378, also issued to Robert W. White on Nov. 6, 1984; No. 4,521,953, issued to James L. King et al on June 11, 1985; and, No. 4,557,041, issued to Robert W. White on Dec. 10, 1985, electric motor assemblies have utilized support members or beam sets secured intermediate their extremities in peripheral slots of a stator, the extremities of the support members passing through apertures in opposed end plates and welded into place.
For the most part, these past assemblies have been comparatively complex and expensive in manufacture and assembly, requiring a multiplicity of assembly steps, a substantial waste of material and often leading to undesirable stresses, alignment problems and assembly discrepancies.
In accordance with the present invention, a unique electric motor structure and method of manufacturing and assembling the same is provided, particularly in the core section thereof, which permits for ready, economical and straightforward manufacture and assembly with a minimum of material wastage and assembly discrepancies without sacrificing parts alignment and motor assembly stability. Various other features of the unique apparatus and method of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure herein.